The slow-building effort to turn Ashli Babbitt into a martyr

Carlson this week cited Russian President Vladimir Putin as having raised valid concerns about Babbitt’s death. (Whatever one thinks about the circumstances of her death, Putin’s record on human rights makes pretty clear this is less about justice and more about deflection.) And social media has practically exploded this week with fringe conservative figures — who have real followings — suggesting that Babbitt was a patriot who was unjustly killed. It’s all a logical progression of the effort to recast the Jan. 6 riot, for two reasons: 1. It contributes to the narrative that it wasn’t that bad — and even that these were simply well-meaning protesters trying to make their voices heard 2. It raises claims of a double standard and hypocrisy when it comes to police shootings. (“Well, we certainly didn’t hear that when the tables were turned,” Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson said on Levin’s show. “Again, it’s the concern about the unequal application of justice and a lot of concern.”) And for those reasons, the chorus seems likely to keep growing. Thus far, it’s mostly relegated to social media, fringe members like Gosar and conservative talkers (who pitch this as just raising questions, while being sympathetic to Babbitt). But there’s little doubt the revisionism will only mushroom from here — despite the lack of any new real evidence beyond what we all saw five months ago.